Resolve
by Ash Engel
Summary: Kise is not the idiotic playboy everyone takes him as. And he certainly doesn't cry during sex. An off-canon story focusing on Kise chasing his goal of beating Aomine, while juggling their wreck of a once-friendship on the side. Aokise, M chapters will have a warning at the top
1. Revisit

"Aominecchi.."**  
**It was the first time they'd seen each other since the Interhigh finals. **  
**Kise hadn't slept at all the night after, too busy replaying every move and mistake in his head over and over. He needed to get stronger, for his sake and Aomine's.****

But a small, quiet part of him hadn't been thinking about the game on that night. It had been caught up with Aomine's face, the sharp expressions he wore during the game and the way he'd changed from amused to cut off and over confident at the end. Briefly, Kise had gotten to see a glimpse of an Aomine who was actually awake and alive in a game rather than running on autopilot.****

It was short-lived, thanks to his weakness. Yet in it's wake Kise stayed up watching the sun crest into the sky outside his bedroom, thinking about what everything meant. He'd given up looking up to the Teiko Ace, and as a result had finally risen to Aomine's level.**  
**Or, rather, close to it. ****

He'd flown too close, and for a while after the playoffs he'd had to sit on the sidelines resting as his team practiced. It was humiliating to be called a member of the Generation of Miracles when he couldn't even face another member without ending up so entirely exhausted and sore.**  
**But it was progress, and as Kasamatsu was quick to remind him, any progress was a victory.****

So Kise had sat on his own, watching and waiting for his chance to return to the court.**  
**And in that time spent recovering he'd thought more and more about Aomine. About their old games compared to the last, and how worried he was that things were beyond repair. How could he face the other now that there was no admiration between them? What would he say to someone the local papers were calling his rival?****

It was too strange, too surreal. He couldn't believe the person people were talking about was him. He couldn't process the fact that the person on the cover of the newspaper with the fierce expression was him, running alongside Aomine like an equal.****

But here, now, he was staring into the all-too-familiar face of his old friend.**  
**Kise looked around briefly, surveying the high school parking lot. It was empty of any students or teachers. Normally Kasamatsu stayed behind with him to clean up after practice and on good days play one-on-one a little. But tonight he'd gone home upon Kise's request, allowing the blonde some alone time in the court he missed being on.****

After trying (and failing) to push himself through a few sprints, Kise had cleaned up and put all the equipment away. Only to find Aomine waiting against a lamp post in the parking lot.**  
**When all the blonde could summon was the ace's petname, Aomine grinned.****

The expression made Kise uneasy. It wasn't the grin of a normal person, full of amusement and cheer. It was sharp, and a little snide, and at it's root- predatory. Which made the other seem even more unnerving as he stepped closer, hands in the pockets of his jeans and eyes set straight on Kise's nervous face.****

"I'm surprised you're still calling me that." Aomine commented in a sigh that sounded halfway condescending. Of course, these days, everything he said seemed to sound like that.**  
"**After I trashed you at the Interhigh."****

As tactful as always. Kise straightened at the words, gentle face taking on a serious expression. If this was about competition, he didn't care how badly his body ached after the attempted sprints- if Aomine wanted to play, he'd play. He'd tear himself in two challenging the other.****

Despite that determination, Kise laughed. And in reaction, Aomine seemed startled.**  
**The blonde broke the tight air with a casual smile. Under the surface, he was burning hot and ready to go, be damned his body. But his face was calm, and happy. He laughed and smiled, tilting his head with the words, "That's kind of mean, Aominecchi."**  
**It was too cheerful. Too blase. Aomine caught on and grimaced quickly.****

"Well, I didn't come all the way out here to this weak-ass school just to say that."**  
**He gave the words a moment to sink before again the sharp grin cut itself through his features. It was startling, to know what a soft, warm-hearted smile looked like on that face. It made Aomine's grin all the more rattling and painful to see.**  
"**So," the dark-haired young man commented with a jerk of the chin back towards the school behind Kise. "You locked up yet?"****

Kise shook his head slightly.**  
"**I don't lock up- the cleaning staff does that."****

Without another word Aomine brushed past, walking straight to the gym's double doors.**  
"**Hurry up, then." He called over his shoulder as the blonde simply stared at him.**  
"**I'm not patient enough to wait for you to heal up, so you better get ready now."****

There was a long moment of quiet as Aomine reached the door and pulled it open. As he stepped inside, expecting to hear the metal creak shut behind him, a firm hand slammed into the almost-shut door and pried it back fully open.****

"Ready whenever you are." Kise half-growled from behind his old friend.


	2. Resolve

Someone shut the lights off in the middle of their match, twice.**  
**The cleaning staff had popped in twice already, not catching the staccato sounds of squeaking sneakers against the slick gym floor. Each time the lights went out Kise's vision went with it, yet he kept moving. He could see Aomine in the back of his mind, and knew the other's every move. He could feel Aomine's presence, and hear his slight breathing.****

He wasn't even winded, wherein Kise was already panting.**  
**As the lights cracked off a second time the two kept moving, knowing the flow of the other's body beyond what eyes offered. They saw ahead and behind, feeling in the dark as bodies moved in sync with a game already played out in their minds.****

Kise kept score long after Aomine stopped. **  
**As the lights flared on for the second time the blonde jumped, feeling every muscle in his legs protest the action. He reached barely half of his usual height before beginning to fall. Desperately he took the shot, hoping weakly as he landed that it would go in. ****

Aomine didn't even try to stop the ball as it fell towards the hoop, only to bounce off the side pathetically. Kise took hands to his knees and panted as the ball bounced and skittered off the court, in front of the bleachers.**  
**The blonde gasped at the air scraping his dry throat, not noticing that Aomine wasn't getting the ball for several moments. When he peeked at the other through his air there was only a scowl to greet him.****

Kise straightened, and they stayed in silence.**  
**Then, slowly, Aomine went for the ball. They resumed, but it was a fruitless endeavor.****

Aomine wasn't even trying any more. He looked bored, mind in another place as Kise had to give himself a mental lash of motivation just to keep upright. He was panting, coated in a hot, suffocating sweat that made the bandages on his ankles itch.**  
**At times they would pause on the court, dribbling numbly and staring at one another. Kise's face was deathly pale, and the more he sweat the colder his skin became. With each failed shot, each stolen ball, and each lazy score on Aomine's end, the model looked worse and worse.****

But he didn't stop. He didn't give up. He kept running ragged, screaming in the back of his mind against the burning in his arms and legs. **  
**He had to get stronger.**  
**He had to get stronger.**  
**It was all he could think as he fought to breathe through the growing pain.****

In the end he collapsed in the center of the court as Aomine jogged to one end to score. The ball brushing through the hoop was drowned out by Kise's knees hitting the floor.**  
**Aomine turned slowly, looking over his shoulder with a disdainful glare.****

"Ao..mi.." Kise breathed, trying to force the words but, as he had with everything else, failed.**  
**Slowly his opponent turned fully around and stepped closer, bit by bit.**  
"**I'm not even tired, Kise." Aomine sighed dully.****

Everything hurt when he didn't move, and screamed when he did.**  
**Yet, with a slight tremble in his limbs, the blonde moved to press both hands flat against the floor. He struggled and squirmed, desperately trying to get to his feet to continue. But his vision was spotting black and ask he panted harder his throat tightened, feeling deprived of air even as he sucked in lungfuls.****

When his grip gave out and he sank back the two inches to the floor he'd risen, Aomine was suddenly _there_, hands reaching out. They fisted into Kise's jersey, digging into the fabric and shaking once, hard.**  
"**Just what do you think you're doing? Huh?" He snarled low, giving the blonde another shake.****

Kise was too tired to react, and moved half-limp with the jarring motions. Golden eyes fluttered shut, not wanting to see the look on his friend's face.**  
**But that only made Aomine's temper worse as he growled, teeth grit and fists shaking.****

"If I told you to, just how many times would you get back up?!"**  
**Another shake. Another lapse of silence with no answer.**  
"**Answer me!"****

More silence followed before Kise slowly opened his eyes. The tired gaze floated weakly from the floor up, to Aomine's vicious face. Kise smiled, despite himself.**  
"**I can't get stronger if I don't do anything." He breathed, the words only half spoken, mostly mouthed dryly.****

Kise watched as Aomine's face bittered into a rougher snarl, exposing teeth. At their angle with the light pouring down on Aomine's back as he held Kise up by his jersey, his dark eyes were cast in shadows that covered his face. Briefly, Kise could understand how other people would call Aomine a monster, or a demon of basketball. Even if those titles were too rough for the person he knew from Teiko.****

"You can't get stronger if you tear a muscle." Aomine hissed through grit teeth.**  
**Kise tried to laugh, though it only came as a shake of the shoulders, no sound behind it.**  
"**I have to get stronger." Kise repeated.****

"Why?!" Aomine shouted through the gym, finally letting go of the jersey in his grip with a sharp shove. Kise fell back onto the floor, slowly sprawling his tired muscles out as he fought to catch his breath. Aomine stood over him, glaring, demanding answers that were slow to come.**  
"**Do you seriously think you can get stronger and beat me, Kise?"**  
**A smile. A soundless laugh.**  
"**That's exactly what I think." Kise slowly managed. Aomine's snarl turned sarcastic, seconds from a wicked, mocking laugh before Kise's voice rose again.****

"_The only one who can beat me, is me_, right Aominecchi?" From the floor, Kise's smile was almost sardonic. "I _will _get stronger, and I _will _beat you."**  
**Aomine's wicked smile faltered, before returning tenfold.****

"You had your chance, y-"**  
"**Then I'll train harder. I'll get stronger. I'll never stop challenging you."**  
**Aomine paused at the resolute words, before scoffing.**  
"**You're weak, Kise. Chasing a stupid goal like that. You think if you beat me we'll be back at Teiko all of a sudden with Tetsu and the others?" He sneered.****

With air returning and heart calming, Kise managed to laugh with volume.**  
"**I'm not mature enough to play that kind of basketball. I've told you that already." The blonde looked up at Aomine, smile fading into a rare expression of deadly seriousness.**  
"**I'm going to get stronger for myself, _and _for you. But not _just _you."****

Aomine stilled, staring. The sharpness of his face drained, and as he watched his friend fight to sit up, his eyes traced the lines of muscle that tensed and shook as Kise sat up. His body was on it's last string, begging to quit. But Kise kept pushing, farther past his limitations.**  
**It was a simple thing, standing up.****

But as Kise did, slowly but surely, Aomine found a purchase of truth in the words spoken.**  
**With that reckless, somewhat selfish resolve Kise would keep coming at him, over and over. The idiot who acted like a playboy would only get more dangerous the longer he played. The child pining for salad days, who still cried when things got too strong to be crushed down inside, would continue to fight and struggle and burn himself away for his dreams.****

It was a terrifying thing to watch, but Aomine refused to look away. His eyes stayed on Kise as he rose to his feet, trembling and gasping for air, yet smiling with a cunning charm.****

"You should give up now, before you hurt yourself." Aomine growled.**  
**Kise watched him turn away, forcing himself to stay on his feet as the other strode to the doors without a single mark of sweat or action about him. **  
**When the door swung shut behind Aomine, Kise allowed himself to lower back to the ground, where he stayed for a very long time. **  
**  
Even after the cleaning staff shut the lights off again, leaving him in darkness swarming with pain and haunting thoughts.


	3. Recharge

"So, I've made up my mind."**  
**Two manicured hands clapped together, causing Kise to look up from the small script in his hands. He was a model, not an actor. But his agent thought it was a good segway into more business, so Kise was going along with the small-time commercial.****

Luckily though one of his coworkers at the agency, Akemi, was on set as the female role in the half-a-minute-long dance advertising formalwear. Just about every time they worked together there were long down times with makeup and dressings and set adjustments, leaving them with ample down time to talk. **  
**Thus it had become an awkward tradition for Kise to tell the younger girl about school. She'd been homeschooled all her life, and after hearing about his standing not only as a high schooler, but a member of the middle school 'Generation of Miracles', she wanted to know more.****

Somehow after a while of working on the same photo shoots he'd come to talk to her about Aomine. Things had just snowballed from there, as the only thing greater than Akemi's beauty was her prying curiosity.**  
**As she sat down next to Kise behind the row of lights waiting to be adjusted for the set, Kise set his small script aside. He had two lines, and they weren't unusual. He doubted he needed to review more than reading over them as much as he had.****

"Today, I wanna hear more about basketball." She announced with a proud smile.**  
**Kise laughed to himself and flashed a warm smile at her. Akemi, when it came to basketball, was a dunce. She didn't understand much of it, and despite all his explaining she still asked every now and then if he'd ever "struck out" while playing. In time she'd grown tired of the subject and had avoided any topics that could lead back to the sport. But today it seemed her spirits were renewed and Kise held back a sigh.**  
**Just thinking about basketball made him tired. It was a sunday, so he'd slept in. But he had work with no time to rest his limbs that still ached from last night. ****

"Well, ask away." He said politely to Akemi, who beamed and clapped slightly again before falling into a pensive silence. Kise took the moment to squirm in his seat, trying to find a position that was mannerly but not unbearable on his shoulders.**  
"**Tell me about that team you were on- the one in the papers."**  
"**Teiko?" he asked, to which she nodded.**  
"**Who was the strongest member?"****

Kise's smile turned briefly brittle, not that she noticed. _Of course_she had to ask about it today.**  
**The gods were not on his side this week, it seemed.****

"That's an arguable thing, since we all have our own talents and potential. But if you ask anyone else they'd probably say it was the team's ace- Aomine."**  
"**Ohhh, that's the guy you're trying to beat, right?"**  
**Kise nodded somewhat bitterly. Her memory was a little too sharp for his liking, though he was one to talk. His memory was keen, it had to be given his talents, and his perception wasn't anything to laugh at either. In that moment, he could have rattled off every outfit Akemi had worn in the last three months, in detail. Mental processes like that were easy, compared to trying to memorize the agile, fluid motions and instinct of Aomine's play style.****

"What was he like?" Akemi asked while turning over her own script in her hands. She had a few more lines than Kise, talking about the quality of the clothes, while his were simply complimenting her beauty and commending the low price of the outfits. Which he found a little ridiculous, since he could tell by the way the stagehands wheeled the outfit rack out slowly that the clothes were anything but cheap.****

"Aomine.." Kise muttered, staring off at the set being assembled.**  
"**Was very much in love with basketball back then. He played because he enjoyed it."**  
**We_played because we enjoyed it_, he thought. Those his lips pursed against the unspoken amendment.****

"Does he not like it anymore?" Akemi asked, sounding distracted. She was paying attention, mostly, though her primary focus was falling more and more on the somewhat ridiculous lines in her script.****

"I don't think so." Kise mumbled. His voice was too low for her to hear, but she soon had a highlighter out and wasn't exactly listening. He wasn't upset, they were words he didn't want her to hear. But at the same time.. When was the last time he'd spoken to someone about it? The only people who'd understand were alien to him these days, off in other schools that felt like other worlds. There was Kuroko somewhat nearby, but as he'd been painfully reminded after seeing the other again, they weren't precisely friends. Not the way Kise had thought, at least.****

"Aominecchi used to smile when he played, in a way that made me want to smile, too. Now when I see his face during games I just feel sick and angry."**  
**He glanced over, and Akemi was frowning sharply. ****

"I'm so sorry, Kise, I'll be right back." She huffed as she stood, stomping off to where the director was. Kise rose shortly after, realizing this was going to take a lot longer than he'd been promised.**  
**The walk to his room was slow and stiff, and when he entered the small meager dressing room meant for his preparation for the commercial, a makeup artist was arranging things on a small counter.****

"Oh." She looked up at him, then the door. "Is it time to start already?"**  
**Kise smiled widely and shook his head. When the woman laughed in relief, he joined in.**  
"**I think it's going to be a while longer, there's script trouble."**  
"**Ohh dear.." The woman sighed. She moved past Kise, heading out to join in on the growing talk of scripts and cliche lines. Rather than follow, he moved to the chair in front of the counter and sat, taking his phone from his pocket in the privacy.****

Aomine's number was there, though Kise wondered if it still worked at all. Everything else about Aomine was changed, why wouldn't his number be?**  
**With a somewhat bitter laugh to himself, the blonde pulled up the other's contact listing.****

"Why did you show up at all?" he muttered to the screen, which did not reply.**  
**He'd thought about it all last night in the dark after Aomine had left. Had he really shown up just to see how far Kise would go to challenge him?**  
**..How disappointing it must have been.****

Slowly he tapped out a single message, **'**_Sorry' _before deleting it. That kind of text sounded like something from a bad breakup scene in a romance movie. It was almost funny.. almost.**  
**Tiredly Kise leaned his head against the mirror hanging over the counter.****

It was in that position the makeup artist found him later, sleeping.**  
**After waking him up she moved on with her job, and Kise with his.**  
**He went through his day wearily, not looking at Aomine's number again for a week.


	4. Justification

****

Hope is something only weak people have.**  
**Hope is the absence of confidence, and confidence is born from skill.**  
**By that logic, it was no surprise that Aomine Daiki was confident, to a point of extreme arrogance. He's rude to other players, teammates, and even his coach. He doesn't take practice seriously, because he doesn't need it, and he laughs at the idea of other teams being a challenge.****

But Kise sees straight through it. It's why he stopped trying to keep tabs on Aomine after middle school. Because the first game he watched made him sick. Sick and determined.****

Aomine would call him weak, or stupid, or any other myriad of names if he'd seen- but Kise cried. Not out of a knee-jerk reaction to cry rather than get angry, and not out of a sense of weakness. Kise never cried because of petty reasons.**  
**He cried because all he could feel was desperation. The bitter weight of it was so strong he could almost taste the unbearable cruelness of it all.****

Because to everyone else, there was only Aomine, an arrogant jerk with terrifying power. But to Kise, there was Aominecchi- alone. Scared. Hoping even though every cell in his body told him not to.**  
**He saw it in the furious set of Aomine's frame when he moved across the court, or in the cold glare he directed at his opponents as they tried but failed to rise to his level.****

Seeing his old friend so harsh and angry broke him into a thousand pieces, because it was not an anger born of anything more than fear, and loneliness.**  
**Aomine had started to become that hateful person in middle school, and Kise had been powerless to stop it.****

He had watched helplessly from the sidelines as the person he held above all others grew farther and farther away. The more Aomine loved backsetball, the more he played. The more he played, the better he got. And the better he got, the fewer could stand beside him.**  
**And at a certain point Aomine looked up from his beloved game, only to find the broken and tired faces of his team and his opponents looking back.****

It was shattering, straight to the core, to witness.**  
**Because in that moment he realized his was a selfish love. The more he enjoyed basketball, the more he stole that enjoyment from others. It was his fault they wore such crushed faces- his fault for loving a game he'd played since childhood.****

After that moment, he'd fallen into a dark place inside himself. Deep down there, alone and lost, he'd been stripped of the love of the game. There was no more challenge for him, and with that no more fun. All he saw when he played was the slow breaking of other players.**  
**If he couldn't love basketball anymore.. then they didn't get to either.****

That was the day he found his new smile, sharp and confident and strong.**  
**It was as he was, as he had to be. Because he loved basketball, so he played it more and more. But there was no challenge, and no joy in tormenting others. It became a twisted spiral, distorting until he held on to one singular truth- he was strong.****

Aomine Daiki was an unbeatable basketball player.  
And from that root knowledge he built himself up again, playing basketball and searching, endlessly. All he wanted was an opponent with challenge. Someone with power who could stand next to him and look out at the mountain he'd climbed. But the top was lonely, and with every game it only grew worse. ****

His attitude worsened. His grin grew more and more bitter, more and more mocking the players who couldn't stand up to him. How dare they try to beat him! How dare they waste his time!**  
**How dare they get his hopes up.****

All of this, the cold desolate journey, was all Kise say when Aomine played.**  
**He saw a lost friend with a new face, who smiled too coldly and watched others with eyes too far away. The Aomine then had been honest, open, and in love with his passion.****

But the Aomine now was a shark, prowling for blood and tearing apart those who dared get too close. He was vicious, because each game he let that small soft spot in himself open. He cracked the pieces apart just a little, just enough to think maybe- maybe this was it.****

And every time he was let down. Every time all he saw was shattering dreams, as the other team fell into hopelessness. They slowed down. They stopped playing. They gave up, their passions sucked dry. By him. And that terrified him. It hurt and it burned and it made him sick to know he wasn't allowed to love a game without making others hate it.****

Thus the vicious cycle continued, each time killing more hope, each time draining what little bit of the old Aomine was left away. And Kise knew. He saw. He knew he had a deadline, and each game Aomine played made it draw closer.****

He could see through the sharp grins and narrow eyes, past the cruel words and arrogant demeanor. He saw straight to his friend- curled up inside wishing for an opponent, someone to relight the fires and wake him up from the hellish cycle that was killing his love of the only game he'd ever known.**  
**Kise had watched Aomine to fall to that dark place, and had been too weak to help him.**  
**He had watched the Aomine he knew fall apart and reform, colder and darker.**  
**He'd graduated with Aomine further from his grasp, and watched his high school games only to cry.****

He cried because it was the slow death of his friend he saw on the court. It was the slaughtering of a young man's love of basketball. It was the lonely, rageful cries of someone who just wanted to enjoy a game without crushing others' spirits.****

That was what Kise saw. That was why he went to practice every day. It was why he did laps, even in the rain, even on holidays when practice was cancelled. It was why he cursed his body when it broke and smiled when things were hurtful. Because smiling was always easier, lighter. Smiling kept him from falling into that deep, black place with Aomine.****

Most of all, that was why Kise cried.**  
**Because he'd lost. Because he was weak.**  
**Because any loss at all meant he was still too weak to help Aomine. And that meant one more day his idol -no, his friend- would suffer alone.****

Kise could only pray every night he laid in bed sore and sick, that Aomine kept that small, weak part of him alive. All he wanted was for Aomine to keep hoping. ****

Hoping for someone to come save him from the hell he was in.**  
**And Kise would. No matter what it cost him.


	5. Refocus

They hadn't really hung out since Aomine drifted away..****

Kise was thinking about it during class while taking notes for Kasamatsu, who was asleep two desks over. At the start of the year, he'd gotten lectured. But teachers learned in time when students were trying too hard in other areas, and the lectures had gotten smaller over time. As it was now, as long as the team had good grades the teachers eased up, so Kise diligently took notes for the players practicing every day for the Winter Cup, while Kise himself was unable.****

After pushing himself with Aomine he'd stressed his body, undoing what little recovery he'd made. Kise had been forced to admit it to Kasamatsu later on monday, and the chastising still hadn't stopped. Kasa, somewhat, understood the situation. He'd been with Kise when he'd watched Aomine's first high school game.**  
**Kasa had seen the tears, and heard a disorganized reason for it as Kise left the building in a rush. Thus it was Kasa he murmured the truth to when he sat out of practice monday, and it was Kasa who dug knuckles into his scalp, telling him to stop being so stupid.****

Kasamatsu looked out for the team more than anyone, and Kise was a part of that. he understood each player's motivations and goals, and encouraged them. Kise's pep talks were just.. rougher. Mostly because Kise lost hope so easily, and Kasa had found the fastest way to inspire him again was a literal kick in the ass, and the reminder that Aomine wasn't going to wait around for Kise to mope about their situation.****

Thus when class wrapped up and Kise presented the notes, Kasamatsu tiredly thanked him and added a swift knock on the head for the blonde's guilty expression.**  
"**If you have the time to stand there with a look like that on your face, then why don't you think of other things you can do to help your friend?"****

Kise lingered, waiting as Kasa stuffed the notebook in his book bag and stretched with a loud groan. He tried to smile again, and it worked for a while, until they were alone in the classroom.**  
"**Surely there's other ways besides basketball you can reach him, right?" Kasa remarked as he gathered his things and lead the way out the door, towards the gym.****

Kise followed, half in thought, half still wishing he could practice without overexerting himself.**  
"**I don't really think so. He's obsessed in the game, and finding som-"**  
"**Someone who can beat him, I know." Kasamatsu sighed, holding the door open.****

At the edges of the halls girls whispered and laughed, staring and calling Kise's name.**  
**As usual he looked up at them with smiles and waves and happy little calls in return, masking his own personal life for fans. Honestly, he did it with just about everyone but Kasamatsu. Laughing things off was easier, and pretending to be clueless got him by a lot faster than being honest about how perceptive he really was. Plus, it seemed the jovial playboy personality got a lot more friends than the way he'd been at the start of middle school.****

Once upon a time, he'd become light-hearted simply by honest nature, for playing with Aomine and making friends at Teiko. But those were different days, and currently about the only person who made him feel at ease like that again was his team.****

"There's no way the guy doesn't have any interests outside of basketball." Kasa remarked as they entered the gym. Kise had zoned out after leaving the main building's second floor, and looked up almost in a sleepy awe at the gym and teammates already doing sprints.****

"Don't sit around for practice today." Kasamatsu suddenly said, pressing a fist against Kise's chest casually to stop him from moving forward. Kise only stared, confused.**  
"**Your sulking is creeping people out."****

Kise laughed nervously, ready to offer an apology before being cut off.**  
"**And don't even try to say sorry." Kasa said flatly. "I want you to go out and relax. Maybe figure out other areas to help your friend in. I mean, when you do eventually beat him, it'll be healthy to have other things to do, to. Otherwise you'll just keep going at each other and burn yourselves out."****

He cast a pointed stare to Kise's legs, making it clear what he meant.**  
**The blonde laughed again, but nodded. Kasa wasn't really wrong. Even if -when- Kise beat Aomine, if they just kept going against each other (like he know Aomine would want to) they'd just get burnt out. Or worse, injured. Unable to play..**  
**He shuddered at the thought before wishing the team well and promptly leaving them.****

Even if Kasamatsu wouldn't say it, Kise knew the other reason he wanted him gone.**  
**A slouch was no good for morale, especially when they were all trying to focus on the Winter Cup. As he made his way off campus Kise vowed to himself to keep his head high. The Winter Cup was about more than Aomine after all- he needed to get better and help the team win.****

After all, his deadline for Aomine came far before that tournament.


	6. Reacquaint

"Ki-chan! Good morning!"**  
"**Ah, Momoi.." He didn't correct her on it being afternoon, not morning. He was just happen she'd picked up his call, despite it being the middle of practice. In the background he could hear the squeaking shoes and thuds of basketballs, making him idly wonder if Aomine was there in the jogging and dribbling.****

With a small breath Kise cut straight to the point.**  
"**Is Aomine at practice today?"**  
"**Wha?" Momoi commented on the other line. After a small pause she laughed lightly, stepping further away from the sounds of the gym. Once things were more quiet her laughing calmed into light words. "He's never at practice Ki-chan, you know that." Even though she said it gently, there was an edge of remorse in her tone. Kise nodded to it, though she couldn't see.****

"Do you know where he normally goes instead?"**  
**At this, Moimoi gave a long pause. Kise tensed, kicking his feet at the sidewalk lightly as he stood by the crosswalk by himself.**  
"**Is something wrong, Kise?" The manager asked seriously. **  
"**N-No, no!" Kise laughed abruptly. "Don't worry so much." He eased with a playful shrug.**  
**Momoi, of course, wasn't buying it. But she let it slide with a sigh.****

"You have his number though, right?" Kise muttered into the phone, looking around to be sure he was alone at the street corner. **  
"**Yes." Momoi said flatly. "You still do too, don't you?"**  
"**Ah, so it's the same one?"**  
"**Why wouldn't it be?"****

Kise smiled, though there was no happiness in the expression.**  
"**Just making sure." He said softly before forcing himself into another light laugh.**  
"**Well, I hope you have a good practice today! See you at the Winter Cup!"**  
**He hung up before she could ask what was clearly up with him.****

-**  
**-**  
**-****

Kise walked the route to the mall by himself, taking the long way to avoid any groups of high schoolers hanging around town after school. Of course there were still some, mostly teenage girls or women, who muttered his name on the street or stopped him to ask for an autograph or simply a nervous conversation. No matter what he had on his mind he always stopped, beaming a fresh smile and complimenting his fans in earnest. **  
**Truthfully, Kise loved his fans. They got in the way every now and then, sure. But they were always kind, and happy, and usually wanted no more than a fraction of a moment with him. Who was he to say no to that? Who was he to deny such kind strangers?**  
**So it became an unspoken rule, when those who recognized him approached, that he'd stop his moping and turmoil and give those people the smile they deserved to see.****

On the way to the mall he was stopped only twice, once by a housewife and once by a girl on her way home from school. Each of the young women had been meek but charming, in their own embarrassed ways. Kise did his best to smile and laugh with them, even though his mind was filled with thoughts of Aomine and a sloppy plan to give the other something to do.**  
**In the end he stopped two blocks away from the bus stop, outside a small convenience store. ****

He pulled out his phone, done telling himself to wait a few more steps before pulling up Aomine's old contact listing. Nervously, the blonde opened a new message and typed slowly.****

**[From: Kise]****  
****Aominecchi, let's hang out! ****ㅁ******

It was a playful, slightly childish message to send. But he hit the button and shut his phone quickly, not allowing himself to worry about how Aomine would react. They used to text each other like that, hadn't they? Kise sent all the cute faces and suffixes, his smile carrying through even in text message, while Aomine's replies were just as to-the-point and serious as he was. ****

Taking a deep breath in through his nose, the blonde watched his phone's screen anxiously. After a minute ticked by he forced himself to move along, popping in the store in front of him and hastily picking up a drink. It was a silly situation, since he took a long extra minute staring at the Pocari Sweat in debate of buying one for Aomine. But there was no guarantee the other would show up. More than likely, he'd just call Kise weak, or an idiot, and blow him off.**  
**With a sigh the model checked out and left with a single bottle of flavored water, heading further down the street to the mall.****

It was flimsy, but he was going with his plan no matter what.**  
**Either Aomine would show up by some miracle and Kise would try to see just where their friendship was left, or he wouldn't and the blonde would simply enjoy a day at the mall by himself- possibly buying a gift for the old Teiko Ace.****

As he reached the bus stop that would take him to the Too High district, Kise's phone finally went off in his pocket. Taking it out perhaps a little too eagerly, he leaned on the small bus stop bench and stared at the screen.**  
**How long had it been since he'd seen Aomine's name on his phone? Just thinking about the old days where they texted almost every day made his shoulders sag.****

**[From: Aominecchi]****  
****No way am I going all the way to Kaijo just to hang out with you.******

Well.. it.. technically wasn't a no?**  
**Kise tried to be optimistic as he typed out a reply with one hand.****

**[From: Kise]****  
****But I'm near your district! ****ㅇㅂㅇ ****Let's go to the mall, come on!******

As it sent the bus came by, stopping long enough for Kise to climb on and take a seat near the front. The occupants were few, which he found strange for the time of day. As the doors shut and the bus lurched forward Kise leaned back, staring at the phone in his hands. Idly he fiddled with the device, picking at the edges nervously.****

"Please, leave me alone."**  
**Kise looked up slightly at the sound. It was quiet, nearly drowned out by the sound of the bus' heavy engine. Listening for a moment, his suspicions were confirmed as the quiet girl's voice rose again.**  
"**Please..." she said, trying to be stern. As Kise turned around he watched two men in the back smirk at each other, one sliding close to the young woman in her seat. They'd been in the back when Kise had got on, and hadn't looked out of the ordinary for the kind of kids who hung around the area. But the woman was young, fresh out of school maybe, and despite sitting closer to the front she wasn't ignored by the two young men on the bus that moved close and prodded her for conversation.****

"C'mooon.." One of them laughed, sliding into the seat behind her and leaning over the back to reach out towards her. The woman slapped his hand away, making the one sitting beside her burst out laughing.**  
**Kise sighed heavily. Things like this, sadly, were common. Normally transport systems had enough people that the delinquents kept their hands to themselves, but in times like these where he was the only person on the bus beside the three, typically people tried to mind their own business and get away unharmed and uninvolved.****

"I'm serious." The girl said stiffly, trying to be firm as the one sitting beside her wrapped his arm over the back of her seat. Kise glanced to the driver, who was either choosing to ignore it or entirely too focused on the road ahead of him.**  
**Stuffing his phone in his pocket, the blonde rose from his seat and moved down the aisle casually.****

"Chihiro-chan!" The blonde chimed as he came closer. The girl looked up at him in confusion, but didn't say anything. He didn't know her at all, and it was clear when she stared at him she had no idea who he was, either. As he moved up to her seat the man beside her grimaced.****

"Hey man, can't you see I'm busy here?" He gruffed, trying to hint that he was making a pass at the girl. "Get lost."**  
**Kist laughed. It was a light, charming noise that he meant in a _very_ less than friendly way.****

"Chihiro I haven't seen you since middle school." Kise continued. He stood in the middle of the aisle with hands in pockets, ignored by the driver. As the bus turned into a sharp turn the blonde shifted his weight, staying standing and balanced through the shift.**  
**The girl looked Kise up and down nervously before offering a weak, uncomfortable smile.****

"Y-Yeah.." she said uneasily. "How have you been?"**  
**So she was going along with it.. That was all the permission Kise needed as he stepped closer, smiling at the two young men. Despite his lips curling up calmly, there was nothing comforting about his expression. The man sitting beside the woman scowled, face paling. ****

"Would you mind?" Kise asked pleasantly, pointing to the taken seat.**  
"**I haven't seen my friend here in a long time, and I'd love to catch up with her before my stop comes up."**  
**When Kise's smile snaked up on one end, flashing a sharp line of teeth, the man in the seat shot the woman a glare before sliding out into the aisle.**  
"**Yeah, no problem." he grumbled to himself, retreating further back as Kise offered a small thanks and sat beside the girl.****

They didn't say anything at first, he simply offered her a much kinder smile, which she returned quietly.**  
"**Hey." The one man left lingering growled, still sitting in the seat behind them. **  
"**I don't hear a damn lot of catching up going on." He sneered. He sat up more, clamping both hands onto the seat to lean over it. ****

Kise casually shifted, still smiling as he put his arm over the woman's head, grabbing the man's hand on the seat behind her in an iron lock. Compared to the precision and strength needed to handle the ball on the court, human bones were unimpressive.**  
**With a vice grip and sudden twist, two of the man's fingers gave a quiet snap.****

The man howled, and with the sudden loud noise the bus driver finally reacted, glancing back before slowing and pulling over. There wasn't a bus stop in sight, but he still pulled up to the sidewalk and opened the doors, causing Kise and the woman to simultaneously move to stand.**  
"**Ahh, this is your stop too?" He laughed as they quickly moved down the aisle. In the back the man was cursing, gripping his hand loosely as his friend moved closer to see what was wrong.****

Before either of them could react enough to give chase, the bus driver was shutting the doors and pulling away, leaving Kise and the woman on the sidewalk.**  
**They both watched the bus pull away, and the woman gave a small laugh as one of the men ran to the back window, flipping her off angrily.****

"Thank you for that." She finally said in a strong, confident voice once the bus was gone. Looking at her then, Kise could tell she wasn't the kind of woman to let things slide. But two on one was a losing battle, and between her pride and safety she'd clearly chosen safety.**  
"**It's no problem." Kise laughed, smiling to himself. He didn't typically believe in solving issues with violence, but he had a very low toleration for people using their strength to bully others. Especially nice women.****

The woman offered her number, which Kise put in his phone with a smile. He didn't plan on actively texting her, but she claimed it was the least she could do for her 'dashing hero'. They got a decent laugh out of it as she put that as his name in her contact book. Hers, of course, was not Chihiro- but Junko.**  
**When they parted ways Kise brought his attention back to his phone, where a message was waiting.****

**[From: Aominecchi]****  
****The mall is lame, why would I go there?******

Kise couldn't help but laugh. After the brief adrenaline from the almost-fight on the bus he couldn't do much else _but _laugh. He could pick up women just on his way to the mall, but the simple task of getting his friend to hang out with him was nigh impossible. _Oh the unfair irony.._****

**[From: Kise]****  
****It's not like you're busy with practice, so why not?******

There was no face this time. No charming words. Just a straightforward statement, almost a challenge. By the time Kise walked his way to the mall he was tired, having to take a seat in the food court and rest his bandaged ankles and feet.****

**[From: Aominecchi]****  
****Where the hell are you?******

The blonde smiled tiredly. With a low laugh to himself he leaned back in the chair, giving himself a moment before hitting reply and working on a message. Halfway through telling Aomine he was already there, at the food court, someone pulled back the chair across from him without asking.****

Kise looked up, not wanting to get into another scuff with rude kids, only to find himself staring at Aomine. The other glared back at him dully as he sat down with a tray of fast food.**  
"**You're late." Aomine growled before unwrapping one of the burgers on his tray.****

Kise shut his phone with a soft, affectionate smile.


	7. Revolve

At first, he wasn't really sure what to make of things.**  
**He'd called, and Aomine was there. Had it always been that simple? Was the only thing keeping them apart Kise's fear of reaching out and being swatted away?****

He didn't say anything as he watched Aomine eat, simply smiling and letting the moment be what it was. Aomine on the other hand was somewhat in his own world focusing on his food until finally he looked up and took note Kise was _still _staring at him.****

"What?" He grunted after a rough swallow. Across the table Kise fiddled with the lid of a water bottle, and upon Aomine's questioning the blonde laughed.**  
"**Nothing, I just-" he started happily, but Aomine was having none of it.****

"What are you doing in Tōō anyway?" Aomine interrupted before taking another bite.**  
**Kise squirmed slightly in his sleep, struggling to keep the smile on his face as his eyes drifted away. The mall was crowded today, providing a noisy backdrop to the conversation that drown out the words Kise muttered to himself. **  
**Aomine saw the other's lips move, but pretended not to. It would be a headache to ask about it, and he wasn't in the mood for Kise's stupid drama. It was like this whenever the other was upset, he wouldn't just come out and say it. Aomine was left trying to piece together the stray hints and details, which he'd never been particularly good at off the court.****

So rather than press the issue he looked away as Kise turned back and absorbed himself more in his food. If nothing else, at least he got a meat out of the stupid trip all the way to the crowded, noisy mall.****

**"**Ahh, so, do you come here often?" Kise laughed casually.**  
**Aomine glanced back up, leveling a dull stare at the other while chewing. He was dodging the previous question, which was irritating.**  
****"**Nah. Haven't been here since Momoi drug me here last time." ****

When he didn't elaborate, Kise was left to smile stiffly and push the conversation on his own.**  
****"**Well, are there any shops you want to go to?"****

The next time Aomine looked up his eyes were prying. Slowly he crumpled up the wrapper left in his hands, the burger finished with ease. As he set it on the tray Aomine looked Kise over, suspicious.**  
****"**If I wanted to go on a date to the mall, I would have asked a girl." Aomine said flatly before reaching for his drink. Kise's face paled, eyes wide, before shaking his head quickly.****

**"**Wha-" he started, clearing his throat to regain his voice. "What? N-No Aominecchi, I didn't-"**  
****"**I was just teasing you, Kise. Jeez." Aomine groaned. ****

Honestly, it was awkward for both of them. Aomine didn't care about Kise or the rest of the Generation of Miracles when it came to basketball- they were weaker, a waste of time. But outside of that game they were pretty much the same. That fact irritated him as much as it was a comfort. Yet, despite Kise's unchanged nature, they couldn't be the way they were before. Aomine used to tease him all the time, and the blonde mostly went with it.**  
**But this? This wasn't quite right, and it irritated the dark-skinned teen even further.****

**"**O-Oh.." Kise muttered, words again swallowed by the background noise.**  
**Picking at the half-cold fries on his tray, Aomine sighed heavily to himself and leaned back in his chair.**  
**Kise took to staring when the other looked away, staring up at the ceiling in boredom.****

Aomine had grown since middle school well, straight through puberty into a tall, well-built young man. His tan skin fit the sharp lines of his face well, enforcing the wild quality of his features even more than it had in younger years. **  
**What bothered Kise about Aomine wasn't his older looks or terrible fashion sense, though.****

What struck him silent was Aomine's eyes.****

The old fire there was gone. He looked permanently bored, only ever stirring from his dull watching of the world to flash that too-sharp smile and dark, challenging stare. Kise had woken the old Aomine up once, briefly at Interhigh.**  
**But the disappointment that had invaded his friend's features upon Tōō 's victory still haunted the blonde. Enough so that now as he look at Aomine it was all he could do not to think of the let down, closed off expression and what it meant.****

_You're on a time limit, Kise.. _He reminded himself somberly.**  
****"**Well, if you're done," Kise started as he noted Aomine had given up picking any more at his food. "Let's go."****

Aomine finally looked back, dull eyes looking up at Kise with one lazy brow raised.**  
****"**Go where?" He asked, sounding bored out of his mind. Subtly Kise's jaw tensed, teeth gritting. He was determined to wake the other up, somehow.****

**"**Get up and find out, Aominecchi." Kise laughed before turning away. Aomine had to rush to throw his trash away and catch up with the blonde who was casually weaving through the slow streams of people browsing shops and chattering with friends.**  
**Aomine stayed two steps behind Kise, hands in the pockets of his loose jeans. People were staring every so often, murmuring about the strangeness of the pair.****

Where Kise was clean and neat and walking calmly along with a pressed school uniform and a smile, Aomine slouched. He wore too-big jeans and a tank top one size too large, and walked along with a bland grimace set on his face. Standing side-by-side, they looked like some promo telling kids to stay in school.**  
**What was worse was when people noted Kise as a model. Their eyes moved from the blonde to Aomine, questioning why someone who looked like _that _would by with a guy like Ryouta.****

Aomine just snarled at the sidelong looks, quickly losing his temper.**  
**As soon as he was ready to turn around and leave, Kise finally stopped.**  
****"**Let's go in here." He said pleasantly before striding into the small sports apparel store.****

Aomine hesitated on the outside, staring at the store's front before following. Honestly, he'd been expecting something else. Like Kise dragging him into one of those scented candle shops, or some girly stuffed animal store. **  
**But this? Well.. it was so obvious he felt like an idiot for not seeing it coming.****

Following along, he found Kise poking through various lines of junk against the walls. Eventually he came to stop at a row of bins with wrist and headbands piled inside.**  
****"**Hey Aominecchi.. come closer." The blonde muttered. Here in the quiet of the store his lowered voice was easily audible.****

For a moment the taller stood still, watching. But for one reason or another that he didn't wanna analyze in himself, Aomine stepped nearer and leaned over Kise's shoulder, trying to see what the blonde was fiddling with. **  
****"**Give me your hand." **  
**Aomine obeyed, still confused.****

Kise took his hand with a strange pressure, as if half-concerned Aomine was about to pull away. Which he didn't, even when the blonde fit something around his hand, onto his wrist.**  
**When his hand was finally let go Aomine pulled back to, unsurprisingly, find a sweatband on his wrist. It was a simple mono-colored blue without any of the fancy designs or team symbols like some of the ones he saw.****

**"**Mm?" He grunted at it, looking it over before looking to Kise with one brow raised.**  
****"**What's this for?" He asked. He knew the general use- for wiping away sweat. But he didn't sweat, not against weak-ass teams like the ones he'd all faced.**  
**Kise just smiled, in a way that reminded Aomine of middle school.****

Every so often, when someone paid attention, they could catch it. It was rare, a dark little flash of something more in Kise's eyes when he smiled at times. It brought Aomine to faltering in his train of thought when he saw it, which made the blonde's words hit him all the harder.**  
****"**When we play again, you're going to want it." Kise remarked darkly, grin growing before he turned away, fishing through the small bins again. When he looked back he was all cheer and smiles again, holding a small group of the wristbands in his hands.**  
****"**Is blue ok?" He asked on his way to the counter. Aomine nodded, following somewhat numbly as the blonde checked out, pointing out the band on Aomine's wrist to the man at the counter as he rang up the total. ****

After paying and leaving Kise pulled his own purchase from the small bag- two similar bands in a deep goldenrod shade. **  
****"**Here." he offered Aomine the bag with a second blue wristband in it. Quietly Kise slipped the two bands into his uniform pocket as Aomine took the bag with a nod.****

For a time, they walked in silence. Aomine wasn't really sure what to say. It was too weird, walking beside Kise through the aggravating stares, carrying a gift bought with the promise of a challenge. If he'd been thinking straight, he probably would have scoffed at Kise's words.**  
**But he was stuck following in silence, trying to wrap his head around it.****

No matter how many times he beat Kise, the blonde wanted to play again.**  
**No matter what he said, how badly he crushed Kise's attempts, the idiot got back up.**  
**Over and over, always, he got back to his feet and went for the next round.****

Even after the Interhigh, Kise was still gunning for him full-force.**  
**It was unnerving, at the least. But at the most.. Well, Kise wasn't a challenge, Aomine had already made that clear. But he was a looming threat, a possibility.**  
**The quiet hope that Kise fostered in Aomine brought the taller to smiling to himself as they moved through the mall.****

The window shopped for the most part, gliding by most of the inconsequential stores. **  
**The next time they stopped it was on Aomine's inclination, as he paused to stare at a large poster of Kise advertising some foreign brand.****

**"**Are you wearing.. makeup?" He asked slowly, bringing the blonde to finally notice he wasn't walking along anymore. Kise stopped, looking back at Aomine before turning to see what he was staring at.**  
**There, looming in massive detail next to them was a large image of Kise smiling softly. And yes, he was wearing makeup. Small traces to emphasize the picture, a base color on his face with very subtle eyeliner. It wasn't like he was wearing lipstick or anything stupid, but the way Aomine stared at it made the blonde feel like he might as well have been plastered there in women's lingerie.****

**"**C-C'mon!" He snapped quickly, face going red. Aomine refused to move though, quickly taking to grinning ear-to-ear at the sight of it and Kise's reaction. He'd seen pictures of the other modeling before, yeah. Mostly menswear and cologne ads. But this was for something else, some watch you could sort of kind of see near the bottom. Never before had Aomine seen such a _big freaking poster_of Kise, and the blonde's stammering reaction had him quickly laughing at the sight.****

Kise, who had taken to circling Aomine ready to shove him along, froze.**  
**Aomine was smiling. Laughing. Like he used to.**  
**It struck the blonde straight through, piercing some guarded center that ached to see what was in front of him. He'd wanted nothing more than to see that smile for the past two years, and now as Aomine laughed himself to tears the world around Kise stopped spinning.****

He was locked in that moment, existing only as an observer to an otherworldly, impossibly perfect scene. And in that moment, Kise's heart faltered. His hands shook just slightly, his skin raced with a wave of goosebumps.**  
**It wasn't love at first sight. But it was love, inspired by a single perfect moment.****

When the world took to a slow turn, revolving once more, Kise dared to breathe.**  
**Aomine turned to look at him, watery eyes crinkled with laughter, and as he turned he saw Kise's face melding from a split second expression of pale shock to a newfound blossoming of red under his cheeks.****

**"**Just _come on_, you idiot." Kise snapped, grinning with teeth bared in a youthful, wild expression of playful joy. His arm reached out, winding around Aomine's shoulders and dragging him down lower while pushing forward, dragging him away from the poster.****

For the smallest moment the world shrank for the two.  
There were no annoying stares, or looming deadlines. **  
**There was no basketball, no fear, no awkward past.****

There was just Kise, and Aomine, and the shared sound of laughter as they stumbled through the mall together.


	8. Renew

Practice had become something terrifyingly amazing for many of the girls who came to watch Kise play. **  
**Ever since he'd had to start sitting out, the collective of fans had stuffed his locker with Get Well Soon cards, and on the day he was recovered enough to practice again, they came in hordes to stand in the bleachers and doorways to watch.****

Kise hadn't said much that day, which had Kasamatsu worried.**  
**But when it came time for practice the blonde had changed quickly and walked onto the court with a single thing to say.**  
"**I want to do five-on-one."****

Aomine could do five-on-one. So Kise had to get to that level.**  
**That was the goal he was giving himself, which he'd decided on after getting home from the mall. He and Aomine had fallen into a familiar place as they walked around, laughing and window-shopping. Not many of the stores interested them, but neither one of them wanted to go home just yet. Not when they had the brief time of peace around them, with worries far away and nothing on their minds but jokes. ****

In the end they'd finally had to part ways when Momoi caleld Aomine, asking where he was and if he was ok. Which he'd answered with a laugh, which only worried her more.**  
**They'd waved goodbye at the bus stop where Kise climbed on and Aomine stayed behind. There hadn't been any promise of doing it again some time, or a mention of how much fun it had been. Neither of them said a whole lot of anything to each other when it was done, actually.****

But that afternoon stuck with Kise when he went home. It stayed on his mind as he rested up, looking into every remedy he could. He used heating pads and ice baths, disgusting health drinks and home remedies. He stayed in bed on sunday and even turned down a few photoshoots to conserve his energy.**  
**All so that, come next monday, he could walk onto the court in his jersey with head held high.****

Kasamatsu tried to discourage the idea of a five-on-one so soon into Kise's return.**  
**But the blonde would have none of it. His face said what his voice didn't- with a serious expression and determined eyes. When words didn't get through, Kasamatsu relented.**  
"**If you push yourself too hard I'm benching you for the rest of practice." He warned.****

And then it happened. The blonde sank lower. Eyes narrowed, staring at something far beyond the court no one else could see. His arms stayed close to the ground, where the ball bounced low in his control.**  
**The court grew silence despite the onlooker's cheers moments ago. Everyone stilled, allowing the sound of the dribbling ball to consume the silence. ****

Kise breathed in, slow. He saw every player, every style, every move they would make. The game played out in his mind, knowing his teammates and their skills. He saw their every reaction to his movements, and worked with that knowledge to build his strategy.**  
**For a long, tense moment no one moved.****

And then he was gone. Kise was around two of the other players before anyone knew what to do, and as the defense rushed to reform the blonde was leaping, throwing the ball in the middle of his rush rather than getting closer.  
His sneakers hit the floor before the ball did, and in the two second pause between the sounds the basketball brushed through the hoop with what looked like ease.****

Honestly? He was tired just from that alone.**  
**But Aomine's laugh rang in the back of his mind. That smile flashed behind his eyelids, driving his pulse higher and higher.**  
**He practiced more, and more, and more. The crowd gathered to watch was unsettled, staring at the playboy idol turned serious- deadly so.****

Many of the girls left quickly, and the longer Kise played against his team, the more that felt too uncomfortable to stay until the end.**  
**Kasamatsu took to the challenge quickly, directing the players and bringing each of them to full potential.****

Kise was no Aomine, but he was getting closer with every single play.**  
**At first, they'd been keeping up with him. But as the game drug on Kise was moving faster, jumping higher, shooting harder. The pressure only made him fight better against the odds, and as he weaved through three of their players and ducked under one more, Kasamatsu was sure of it. He jumped, trying to block, but it was fruitless. Kise was too fast, too strong, and the ball went in despite his efforts to force it out of the blonde's hands.****

When they landed the ball bounced away, rolling to a far corner of the court.**  
**For a moment Kasamatsu stayed on the ground, watching. Kise's face was obscured by his bangs, guarded and pale as he panted and looked elsewhere.****

Was this it? Was this the point Kise joined the tier of monsters that turned their backs on all else but winning?**  
**Kasamatsu stared up at the blonde from the floor for a long minute, before a hand reached out.****

"I'm sorry Kasamatsu.." Kise breathed as he helped the other up. "I think that's my limit."**  
**There was a nod, before Kasa gave Kise's shoulder a hard slap.**  
"**You're the only person I know who could go two weeks without training and still get better."****

They shared breathless laughs on the way to the locker room, where the entire team burst from silence into excited chatter. Everyone was ecstatic, thrilled to see Kise's improvement. Though they'd never admit it, he could tell they'd been worried he was going to fall behind in the time without training. But the match had proven them wrong, and with the final score at 33 to 47 before calling it over, hope was renewed.****

As usual, it was Kise and Kasamatsu who stayed laid to help put everything away. They even told the manager to take a break and head home, leaving them to clean up and organize the locker room together.**  
"**So it went that well, huh?" Kasa laughed as the final jersey was picked off the floor and put away. For an award-winning team, some of the members were serious slobs.****

Kise, sitting on one of the benches already changed back into his uniform, smiled softly.**  
**Kasa had asked about Kise's afternoon away from practice the very next day, to which the blonde had told him he would see on monday.**  
**And now, today, Kasamatsu's worries were relieved with the strong display.****

He moved to sit on the bench opposite Kise and grinned at the other.**  
"**Took you long enough to get in gear." He sighed casually, laughing. Kise smiled apologetically and nodded.**  
"**Yeah, sorry.." he said casually, rubbing the back of his neck. They shared a calm moment of peace before Kasamatsu stood, playfully kicking the leg of the bench Kise was on.****

"Let's go, before the staff lectures us for being here so late again."**  
**Kise nodded, following with a reserved expression. He wouldn't talk about it, not even to Kasamatsu, but he finally had a strong game plan. The Winter Cup was four and a half months away. He had a little over three months left to beat Aomine before he worried all the hope the other had in games was extinguished by too many victories.****

In two months, Kise would challenge Aomine.. _And he would win._


	9. Reason

They hadn't spoken for a month.**  
**Aomine wasn't sure what to make of it. Kise had probably just been bored..****

And yet every day after school he found himself checking his phone.  
There were never messages from Tetsuya, or Midorima. Not that he expected any. There weren't any from Murisakibara or Akashi either, but they never messaged him much even when they'd been on the same team.****

Kise, however, had bugged the shit out of Aomine almost every day, up until graduation.**  
**He'd thought with the different school everyone would drift apart- and he'd been right. The more he played, the more he won, the less he cared if Tetsuya or Kise called him.****

But then that stupidass blonde had contacted him, and Aomine had been dumb enough to go.**  
**He was still kicking himself for it as he lounged on the school roof, avoiding practice.**  
**What was the point?****

In practice.. In Kise..**  
**All of it was stupid. Pointless.**  
**He was great at basketball- better than anyone. He didn't need to train.**  
**As for Kise...****

He wouldn't admit it, but he checked his phone again.**  
**No new messages. No missed calls.**  
**Aomine sighed.****

He held the phone above himself, glaring at the screen as it blocked sight of the autumn sun high above him. Just as he was ready to lower his arm, his phone vibrated. Aomine jumped slightly, fumbling with the device before dropping it. He cursed loudly, bitterly, as it smacked into his face and he rolled to the side.****

When he snatched it back up he didn't even look at who it was before answering with a sneering, **"**_Yeah, whaddya want?!"_****

"Aomine." It was Kise. His voice was serious and drawn tight.**  
**Aomine swallowed against the noise, listening with every fiber of his being.**  
"**Let's play this afternoon."****

A moment of silence. Those were the words Kise had spoken after classes in middle school. His soft challenge to Aomine, which always ended in disappointment. Aomine sighed into the phone.**  
"**We've been over this. I ain't going all the way to-"**  
"**I'm atTōō." Kise interrupted. ****

Again, silence. Aomine breathed slowly into the chilled air.**  
**He wasn't sure what he wanted to do.**  
**It was a dangerous game, what he and Kise had. If the blonde faltered even once he would stop being interesting- stop being a threat for the future. But if he stayed too idle, Aomine knew he'd lose interest eventually. He wasn't sure if he wanted to roll the dice and see where Kise's skill fell on that particular day..****

**"**I'll be waiting." Kise hung up.**  
**Aomine groaned and hissed and sighed before putting his phone away.**  
****"**And just how am I supposed to know where you're at?" He snapped.****

But he knew. Of course he knew.**  
**It was the auxiliary gym- the "haunted" gym.****

When he got there the only ghost waiting for him was gold and grey, dressed in loose grey sweatpants and a one-size too big white tank top. Kise dribbled up and down the court, shooting and running and warming up.**  
**Aomine didn't bother.****

As soon as he walked in he cracked his neck, unzipping his thick jacket to reveal baggy jeans and a graphic t-shirt. Nothing fancy, but he looked better than the model for a change.****

**"**Where're your fangirls, prettyboy?" Aomine laughed.**  
**Kise didn't respond. He rounded without warning, coming closer with a speed and force that had Aomine lurching to full alert to counter.****

They ran. Ducked, jumped, and shot.**  
**After only ten minutes they were gasping, out of breath with muscles burning. It was a shared burn, one even Aomine felt as he guarded his basket against the blonde.****

Kise was better than last time. Much better.**  
**Aomine was grinning sharply, laughing to himself between every score. Even when it wasn't him getting the points.****

Another five minutes drifted by before he straightened without warning, letting Kise by only to laugh heartily. The blonde stopped before shooting, slowing before pausing to stare at Aomine in confusion.****

**"**Are you keeping score?" Aomine asked suddenly, only to fill the entire empty gym up with his laughter. Kise was dumbstruck, silent. **  
**Neither of them had been keeping score anymore. Aomine couldn't handle it, and fell back onto the floor. His lungs burnt when he breathed, his muscles ached when he sat back.****

This wasn't his full potential. He knew that. Kise knew that.**  
**But _he'd forgot to keep score._**  
**He couldn't stop laughing.****

In time, Kise approached warily. He was smiling, somewhat nervously. This wasn't quite the reaction he'd wanted, Aomine guessed. When he reached out a hand, offering to help the Teiko Ace up, there was a snide scoff.**  
**Aomine got up on his own, the grin on his face torn between honest amusement and something darker.****

**"**Don't go flattering yourself." he breathed. "I'm not so bad off I need _your _help."**  
**He felt prideful. Dominant. In control.****

Kise threw the basketball in his hands down, catching it deftly with one sweat-slick hand before resuming a fast dribble.**  
****"**Then I guess you can keep going?" The blonde retorted quietly, his voice a whisper through the gym. Aomine's grin snaked farther across his lips.****

They kept going, forgetting the score. It didn't matter. What mattered was the racing, the pushing, the impossible shots made and their immediate reproduction. If Aomine made a new move, Kise did right after. He was just a copy- but he was a copy of Aomine. **  
**Slowly but surely, Aomine was getting his wish.****

It ended when Kise moved to make a close shot from a run. Aomine, of course, refused to let it get by and lurched to block. They collided and hit the floor, neither of them really noticing if it went in.****

Aomine's sweat dripped over Kise's face as he lingered, hovering with hands at either side of the blonde's head. There wasn't anything remotely sensual about it at first. It wasn't some impromptu porn, they didn't gaze into each other's eyes and fall madly in love.****

But it stirred something. It sent gears turning, wheels clicking slowly into place. Aomine wasn't moving. Kise wasn't objecting. He started down at the blonde, scrutinizing.**  
**Any other guy would have shoved Aomine off at that point, grumbling and spitting about how damn gay he was acting.**  
**But Kise wasn't moving. He was staring, eyes wide and chest heaving in exhausted pants.****

Aomine matched, heaving deep breathes from his core out. Heat radiated between them and it felt hard to breathe for a time. **  
**When another bead of sweat slipped and fell, Kise finally moved. One arm raised, grazing a goldenrod sweatband against Aomine's face. But still he didn't say a word. He repeated a second time, against the other's forehead. As his arm lowered, Kise let out a long, low exhale.****

That was when Aomine was simply _there_, over him. Around him. **  
**Racing hearts faltered and skipped. Lips pressed hot and hard. There was nothing romantic in the press. It was demanding and almost painful with the way it feverishly pressed Kise's lips against his teeth. He was a stone under Aomine, frozen in place with the shock of the touch.****

Aomine moved away first, pulling back slowly and staring.**  
**He looked.. furious. Kise looked shell-shocked.****

The game ended there.**  
**Aomine got up and left in a rush, forgetting his jacket.**  
**Kise didn't move for quite some time, unable to think. Only breathe. His mouth hurt.****

Neither of them knew what to think of it.**  
**Even Aomine didn't know _why_. He just.. _had_.**  
**Thinking made his head hurt.****

Kise got up after nightfall and collected Aomine's jacket numbly.**  
**He went home, walking the entire way. He had blisters by the time he got in and took a shower.**  
**When he collapsed into bed he didn't know what to do, or think, or feel.****

Sure, something had sparked at the mall but.. ._.but was this?_**  
**_Was Aomine?_****

_Thinking made his head hurt._


	10. Ready?

Practice had become something truly terrifying.

Kise didn't play like Kise anymore. He played like Aomine- hard and fast and disconnected from the team. He'd stopped talking to anyone outside the times they trained and came together for practice matches. Kasamatsu didn't see him between classes and no one knew _where_ Kise went at lunch, only that he went.

Every day Kasamatsu had to watch Kise turn into exactly what he'd been afraid of seeing.

Where Kuroko had pulled the blonde closer to the team, Aomine was ripping him opposite. The Kaijo Point Guard hadn't really planned on going to anyone else for help at first. He'd wanted to handle it on his own, with the team, somehow. But when he ran into the familiar Seirin team after practice one afternoon things just seemed to happen on their own.

He wound up with Kagami and Kuroko, spilling his guts about Kise and hoping against all logic the two wouldn't use it against his team later. They didn't seem the type, but Kasamatsu didn't trust them as prolifically as Kise did.

_"I just don't want to see him turn into another Aomine. I'd rather.. Honestly, I'd rather lose the rest of our games this season than have him drift away from the team like he's doing."_

He'd admitted it openly. Anxiously. Kuroko had listened, not saying much while Kagami filled the silence with stern advice. It wasn't entirely helpful, but Kasamatsu had thanked them both anyway before heading home.

The next day Kise didn't even show up at school. Kasamatsu didn't call him, or text. He just went to practice and did his best to keep the nervous team's spirits up.

* * *

Kise was at Tōō.

He walked the streets all the way there, feet steadily getting used to the long walk from his home to the school. He hung around the courtyard as classes let out, ducking around the few who stopped to notice him. It was difficult trying to slip by a school's worth of students, and a few times he failed in escape and entertained fans with dismissive smiles and laughs. They all wanted to know if there was some practice match going on. He told them no, which wasn't really a lie. Even though it felt like he was lying.

Maybe it was the fact he'd skipped school and stayed in to rest that had him feeling heavy. Or maybe it was the jacket thrown over his arm that weighed him down. _Something_ was dragging him down hard, crushing him under a thick air of guilt and unease.

When he made his way into the gym the familiar sea of black and red uniforms paused. Momoi was the first to stand, the only to smile. She waved and laughed and trotted up as if the whole place was Teiko, and Kise was showing up for practice like normal.

"Kisee!" She shouted across the gym, rushing up with a bright smile and clipboard in one hand. The team behind her resumed practice. Aomine wasn't there.

"You're looking for Aomine, right?" She asked straight away.

The blonde twitched.

"Ahh.." He started weakly, letting it drift into a nervous laugh. "How'd you know?"

He smiled. Laughed, dully. He tried to keep Momoi's face on his own, not the jacket in his arm. But she'd already noticed, and pointed to it with the same warm, honest smile.

"He's been without his usual jacket for a while now. I figured he lost it somewhere."

Things slowly started to turn over in her mind. She stared at it, and her smile fell slightly. Slowly eyes drew up from it to Kise's face.

"Eh?" She started, hoping for a quick explanation. When Kise didn't offer one she forced herself to ask.

"Why do you have it, anyway? Playing one-on-one again?" She laughed, going as far to extend and elbow and prod Kise with it playfully. He smiled, but not widely. She seemed to grow nervous without his assurance.

"Yeah." He offered quietly. Momoi paused. Her face drew serious quickly.

"How's it going, then?" She asked quietly, almost inaudible with the sounds of rough practice in the background. Kise looked away from her concerned face, staring at the jacket he'd had hanging in his room for days. He'd even had it washed, though it didn't need it.

"It's.." Kise started. He shuffled his feet. The arm with the jacket squirmed and he bit anxiously at the inside of his cheek. For the first time in a long time he didn't try to play his emotions off with a smile and wave. He took in a breath, sighed heavily, and spoke honestly.

"It's stressful."

Momoi nodded. Kise grimaced.

"I can imagine." She murmured. "Well, Aomine isn't here today. Surprise." She was quick to laugh again, trying to lighten the mood. Kise stayed in an abysmal state, not meeting her gaze or laughing along. It was unusual. Unsettling. Her stomach knotted on itself just watching him.

"But I can ask him to meet you somewhere if you want? To get it back."

She was pulling her phone out before Kise could argue it, which he wanted to. By the time his mouth opened she was tapping at the keys, and he lost his will to stop her.

Ever since -he didn't want to think it-_ the kiss_, he'd been caught at an odd angle.

He hadn't texted Aomine at all in days. He'd passed up two big photo shoots for work, and his boss was lecturing him about it. Practice had become a nightmare where all he could think about was Aomine. About getting better, being like the ace, beating him. And the only way to do that was to _be_ him.

This morning Kise felt so sick with himself for falling into his copy of the other he hadn't even been able to go to school. He'd slept in, stared at Aomine's jacket, and resolved to return it after lunch.

Momoi sent the text and snapped her phone shut.

"Okay." She nodded with a small grin. "Do you know where the Maji Burger around here is?"

Kise nodded. He'd become loosely familiar with the area from walking it recently. The restaurant was on the corner on his way back.

"He agreed to head there, so if you leave now you should get there after him."

"Thanks, Momoi." Kise waved, though it was about as weak as everything else.

Momoi's smile dropped the second Kise was out of sight. She was worried, though that was an understatement. Lately Aomine had been acting..oddly. The jacket in Kise's hands only made her more confused. Aomine had outright _told_ her he'd lost it, and to forget about it.

To see Kise with it.. After them playing basketball together..

She waited until after practice to call Kuroko about the mess for advice.

* * *

Kise walked with a slow, almost defeated gait. His feet drug, his shoulders slumped, and his mind felt muddled. Every day he went by without texting Aomine had him feeling worse. He didn't know what to think anymore, about them or his goals. He wanted to win for Kaijo, but that was an unfair statement. He wanted to win for Kaijo when they weren't playing Too Academy. When Aomine was involved he wanted to play to win for himself, and just that. It was confusing enough without thinking about the mall, or the kiss. The whole mess gave him a headache, and despite his best efforts to think about it anyway, he never got anywhere.

Yet still he tried to let his mind wander on the topic all the way to Maji Burger.

By the time he stopped in front of it all he'd managed to sort out was that he was nervous about seeing Aomine again- which he'd already known. With a heavy sigh, the blonde tipped his head back and stared skyward. It was grey and overcast, with clouds rolling in and warring for space in the sky. It looked about the same way he felt- bleak and messy. If he was playing basketball for Aomine, was that a betrayal to Kaijo? If he was going to play for his team, did he need to give up on the desire to beat (and thereby save) Aomine?

Worst of all, if this new complication with Aomine made him turn into such a mess, could he keep playing at all? There was no doubt in his mind Kasamatsu was mad, and a serious apology was in order when he got himself sorted out.

..But what about basketball? What about Aomine? Why did the two questions seem to almost be the same thing lately?

Something tapped against one of the glass windows to the restaurant.

Kise turned from his strained reverie to stare flatly at Aomine. The dark haired youth was sitting in a booth, tray of food halfway finished and dull stare directed towards.. towards.. Kise followed Aomine's gaze to the jacket in his arm. He swallowed. Looked back.

When Kise didn't move for a long moment of staring Aomine rolled his eyes and shifted, standing out of the booth and moving with slow irritation. The blonde watching him walk out of sight only to soon thereafter step one foot out the front doors.

"You gonna come in or not?" Aomine called.

Kise blinked. Momentarily, he lost all ability to think. He could barely move. Some part of him managed a numb nod, while another part shifted forward step by step. He wasn't sure how his body was operating exactly. All he knew was that one moment he was outside and the next he was sitting across from Aomine in a booth seat, watching the other slide on his jacket and continue eating like nothing was wrong.

_Was_ something wrong? Kise's head was blooming into a vicious headache.

Neither of them said anything for a long time.

Aomine finished his meal and got up, which Kise assumed was the end of the odd meeting.

He sat alone, staring at the table, trying to remember how to function.

At some point Aomine returned, setting down two drinks. He shoved one of them across the table. Kise stared at it. Aomine played with his straw for a bit, staring out the window with a lazy, rude posture.

After another long drawl of silence Aomine spoke.

"I got off to you last night." He grunted.

Kise stopped breathing for a moment. He forgot how to.

Aomine was staring out the window, sipping on his drink. Some kind of shake.

"Ex..cuse me?" Kise mumbled. He mouthed it more than spoke it, but the sparse noise alone was enough to prompt Aomine to go on.

"Figure there's no point in not saying it." He growled, almost bitterly. Was this embarrassment? Any other time Kise was perceptive enough to tell. But now.. now he felt light headed and breathless. He pulled in a long, deep inhale to verify he was actually breathing again.

"You.." Kise mumbled. He stared at Aomine, who wouldn't meet his gaze. He stubbornly kept his attention away, to the sidewalk outside.

"You didn't stop me." Aomine said quietly.

"Well.. of course not, if it was a fantasy-" Kise began, but Aomine sighed harshly and rolled his eyes.

"I don't mean _that_, idiot." He interrupted. Setting his drink down, finally steel blue eyes came to settle on the blonde across from him. Kise looked.. less than shocked. His expression was surprised, but only mildly. Was this that thing people got sometimes? Medical shock or whatever? Aomine wasn't sure. He just didn't like the way Kise was staring at him, and moments after finally looking at the other he glanced away again.

"The.." Aomine began. But he stopped. He didn't want to say it out loud.

Kise understood.

"Oh." The blonde offered quietly. Aomine grimaced at the reaction.

Things fell back into silence for a long while.

"So." The darker of the two stated. Kise waited, but nothing followed.  
"So?" He mimicked, prompting Aomine to go on.

Aomine seemed frustrated and angry. He grit his teeth, inhaling as he turned to glare at Kise almost furiously. His arms, too-casually slewn out over the back of the booth tensed. Hands curled to fists.

"So, _do you want to?_**" **He finished through grit teeth.

"Do I want t-" Kise began to ask, but stopped as it all finally registered.

Aomine. Sexual attraction._ Aomine. Sex._

Kise forgot how to breathe again. He wanted desperately to be able to smile and laugh and make it all into a joke. Aomine had somehow picked the perfect moment to catch the blonde on a day he couldn't deflect.

Hands in Kise's lap squirmed and balled. He bit at his cheek, and with a dry mouth replied almost inaudibly, "Yes."

He wasn't really sure if he actually wanted to or not. He couldn't even begin to think about it. All he could think about was Aomine, and basketball. And how to those things the answer was always, stupidly, _Yes_.


	11. Relent

**( This chapter reaches a racy PG-13 place near the end. The next chapter will be M-rated. Enjoy- and don't let this fool you. Their dynamic will be a far cry from _"aokise stereotypical"_ once they get more comfortable. **

**Also, I couldn't find anything on Aomine's home/life/parents. So I just made a headcanon and ran with it. If there is a canon for this and I'm way off the mark, let me know but don't expect an edit. )**

* * *

Rain came down in heavy waves against the window.

They'd sat in quiet for some time after Kise's answer, letting the moment settle around them. It was tense and awkward, but neither of them moved to break it. Instead Kise put both hands on his shake and played with it idly as Aomine stayed fixated on some point in the sidewalk outside.

When the rain started, Kise glanced at Aomine to try to understand what to do next.

Surely he hadn't meant sex _now_.. But still, he lingered anyway on the off chance.

The rain only came down harder, washing the street clean of any passersby.

The dark sky swallowed the city, and when it seemed its absolute bleakest Aomine looked away and sighed.

"So." He started, setting his empty shake aside and staring at Kise lazily.

Kise flinched under the stare, a deer caught in headlights.

"You live pretty far from here, right?" He growled out low.

It wasn't what Kise was expecting him to say in the least. Slowly, the blonde nodded.

Aomine watched him for a moment before sliding out of the booth without word. When he retreated off to throw his trash away, Kise scrambled to follow. Aomine lead without word, first to the trash and then out the door. Kise hesitated in the doorway, reluctant to brave the rain.

"C'mon." Was all Aomine had to call as he stepped out to summon the blonde to his side. Together they jogged down the street, through the downpour. It was a relatively short path by normal standards, but the storm made it feel miles longer.

Aomine's house was a nice place, more well-off than Kise had figured.

In all their years together in middle school, Kise had never been over to Aomine's house.

The ace had been to the model's place, before he moved for high school. But not once had the blonde set foot in Aomine's house, or met his parents. At a certain point he'd started to quietly assume Aomine's home life wasn't well, but he never brought it up. There was little else left to assume when Aomine's parents never showed up for any of his games, even championships.

But as Aomine slowed and rushed up the pathway to the awning over the front door, Kise rethought all his quiet assumptions. Aomine shuffled to pull his shoes off as he pulled open the front door. Kise lingered behind, staring.

To call it a house was almost insulting. It was an _estate_, with a full surrounding garden and paper doors. When Aomine pulled the entrance open and sat his shoes down (surprisingly neatly) Kise rushed to mimic the motions.

The entrance alone was lavish, decorated with fine paintings and end tables boasting flourishing plants. It all seemed like something out of a movie, and even in Kise's sometimes ridiculous world of modeling it seemed far-fetched.

Aomine didn't say a word about it, but instead lead the way down the equally ornate hallways. A few guest rooms stood with doors half-open, exposing fine furniture and pristine straw mats. Everything was in perfect condition, which Kise felt guilty for being surprised by.

Aomine was always so rough and tumble, careless and crass. It was hard to imagine him in a nice home, much less hime behaving in one. The blonde was entranced by the other, watching the ace step softly down the halls towards the far end of the house.

Halfway there, Kise noticed something startling. The entire place in all it's enormity was dead silent aside from the rain.

Suddenly the movie turned into a suspense-horror.

Aomine came to a stop near the far west end of the house, in an open room void of many personal effects. It had the usual low table, floor cushions, and various household shrines and sliding paper doors. Aomine stopped with a sigh and unceremoniously pulled off his jacket, shirt, and soon after pants.

Kise was too stunned to do more than watch. Was he supposed to follow suit? Would it be weird if he started to strip without asking?

While he worried Aomine peeled off his soaked clothes down to his boxers, collecting them all over one arm before finally turning around with a lazy stare. He took one look at Kise and crooked a sharp, mocking grin.

"Just gonna stand there and drip all night?" He laughed before turning away and heading for a door off to the side. Kise stammered and fumbled, flustered as he hesitantly moved to wring both hands against the hem of his shirt.

Aomine never was, or would be, the patient type.

He left into a small bathroom to the side, leaving the door open as he folded the wet clothes into the sink for the time being. When he turned around to find Kise still squirming in his clothes he offered a growling sigh and rolled his eyes.

All at once Aomine was simply there, all around Kise filling the air with the thick scent of his skin. It was a dark, almost-musky smell born of heavy incense and sweat. Any other time Kise didn't think he would have liked such a scent, but the second he breathed it in as Aomine grasped his shirt firmly he decided it was fine. Better than fine. Lovely, as he inhaled hard and let Aomine's impatient hands pull his shirt up over his head.

"Pants, too." He grumbled as he marched back to the bathroom.

"I ain't cleaning up any wet floor mats."

Kise dutifully nodded and followed into the tiled bathroom. It was oddly modern against the rest of the traditional house, with a rather luxurious bathtub, sink, and even so much as a standing shower in the corner. If he had to guess, Kise assumed the most modern appendage of the room was Aomine's request. Baths were fine, but after the hard games the roughness of a hot shower was the best.

"Get in." Aomine hooked one thumb over his shoulder towards the shower.

Kise, free of shirt and pants, swallowed dryly.

"Wh-" He started, but Aomine rounded on him with a shark-toothed grin before he could get another syllable out.

"You said yes, didn't you?" He rumbled low, voice rolling like thunder with the rain outside. It clattered heavy on the roof, the walls, the door, providing an earthy backdrop to Aomine's low words.

Kise didn't reply. He didn't need to. He simply breathed in slow and measured, trying to remember how to as Aomine hooked one thumb around the waistband of his boxers and pulled resolutely.

Wet clothes piled in the sink, and Aomine rang them out halfheartedly before snagging the door shut with one foot and rounding on the shower. Kise stood inside it awkwardly.

He wasn't a stranger to being naked- some of his racier shoots called for outfits that left him essentially exposed save makeup and tastefully placed blankets. Hell, he wasn't a stranger to sex either.

But it was _Aomine_, _a guy_, and that alone had him so far removed from his element it was almost laughable.

The ace moved with sheer confidence in every fiber of his body, unabashed at being fully naked. He moved into the shower, seemingly unbothered by the proximity as he pushed against Kise just slightly to reach the faucet.

The water started in searing waves, and Kise shivered.

Thunder rolled outside, tumbling and cracking wildly. Lightning flashed beyond the small bathroom window, filling the shower and its scalding rain with playful shadows.

Kise panted in the thick steam, shivering from the heat and the utter anxiety of the situation. Aomine simply laughed, pressing impossibly close with lips torn in mocking smile.

Kise still, somehow, wasn't sure what he wanted.

He'd said yes, but he didn't know if this was the right thing to be doing.

What about their friendship, their matches? What about Kasamatsu and Momoi?

A single hand came to rest at the back of his head, pressing and prompting.

Kise dared a single glance up through dripping bangs, allowing a heartbeat of hesitation.

In the end, he folded to Aomine without word.


	12. Real

**_This chapter contains explicit language used to detail a sexual encounter._**

_If you don't wanna know the details of how they did it, just drive on. I will include any important details to note for character development in a tl;dr summary at the start of the next chapter._

* * *

His hand pressed, impatient and demanding.

Kise folded slow but sure, ducking down in slight measure.

He took his time, a tease if there ever was one. Lips found their way to Aomine's chest first, dotting a kiss that in any other moment might have been chaste.

Aomine was in no mood for romantics.

He faltered and scoffed, stepping back clumsily in refusal and surprise. But Kise was there, stepping with him, advancing in the space offered. Just like their matches in the court, if Aomine let up in the slightest Kise was filling the gap with force.

It was awkward. Unexpected. Totally confusing.

Aomine pressed back against the closed shower wall, shoving himself against the tile as Kise kept to him with only an inch of leeway. As soon as he was still the blonde pressed close, lips dotting kisses and hands finding confidence in their path up from ribs down to hips.

Aomine swallowed, impossibly dry despite the running shower. His pulse stammered and his breath hitched as he fought for his place in the power struggle.

Though for a fight it was pretty one-sided.

Aomine was still under Kise's touch, stunned and silent as the blonde lowered slow but sure.

It was the most controlling blowjob he'd ever gotten in his life.

..Alright, it was the _only _one. His _first _one.

Kise seemed to know what he was doing though, as he lowered gradually onto one knee then two. There he moved with rehearsed motions, copying things he'd seen and felt, watched but never considered. He'd never really seen a guy go through the tender motions of running hands down thighs, teasing flesh with parted lips. But it worked well as he thought back to various magazines and videos, and a few chance encounters of his own.

While the territory was uncharted, he knew one thing already. It was going to be messy.

Sex always was, and it was why he didn't engage in it often. Not that he had anything against it. But it was sloppy and clumsy and not the kind of thing he typically had time for.

Time however seemed a very abstract concept as he breathed deep and held still, eyes fluttering half-shut as he stole a careful glance through water and heavy air to Aomine's body. He'd grown since the days in the middle school locker rooms, not that Kise had ever really taken to staring. But the subtleties his perceptive gaze had noticed had flourished with puberty and the beginnings of adulthood. Aomine was older, stronger, and wildly enthralled by the situation.

He had yet to say a word, but Kise didn't need him to.

Without question the blonde shifted, hands holding Aomine's hips firmly in place as his mouth opened slow, tongue teasing the head of the ace's cock. There was a low groan joined by rolling thunder, and the thrill of it ran cold through Kise.

This was strange, and wild, and despite the empty home it felt dangerous and _wrong_.

His heart raced near painfully as he moved slow, trailing his tongue along the underside from base to tip. Aomine seemed to finally ease into it, enough to raise one hand back to Kise's head and push with his usual brash insistence. Even when he didn't talk he was petulant and forceful, prodding the blonde to dig deep and find a certain inner confidence before opening wide.

Aomine took full advantage of the hesitance and pressed hard, pushing himself into the blonde's open mouth desperately. It felt better than his hand, or any wet dream thus far. Kise's mouth was hot and slick and when he pulled back in surprise it all tensed around Aomine's cock, dragging a moan out of the darker youth.

Kise was less than joyous about the force, pulling back sharp after Aomine's push to gasp and cough. It felt awkward- people never coughed in porn after all. But he fought to breathe openly as he looked up, glaring through winced eyes at the other.

Aomine just grinned his usual lazy grin and tightened his grip in the blonde's hair ever so slightly.

Kise stared for a moment as if to pout before slowly his own smile slid fluidly across his lips.

Aomine did not like that.

Quickly Kise's mouth was around him again, sucking hard and pushing deep until Aomine could feel the hard press of the back of the blonde's throat. He let out a roaring, throaty groan in reply and leaned his head back against the tile wall.

It was beyond unbelievable, and while he wanted more he wasn't sure how much of Kise he could take. If he came so soon, he wondered if the other would laugh at him. Just the thought brought a certain stiffness to his muscles, a stubbornness to his mind that distracted him from Kise's slow pace sucking up and down his length.

Breathing was heavy.

The water ran hot and the storm cracked outside the window, refusing to be shut out by their heady escapade. It roared and rolled outside, throwing rain down in angry sheets that clattered on the roof and against their side of the house. It was brutally noisy for a storm, but inside the shower it seemed almost gentle background music.

Aomine was certainly louder than any thunder as he moaned, greeting Kise's unsure pace eagerly. He was stiff, Kise could feel it in his hands still held firmly at the other's hips. He kept his hands there for the exact moment the other began to move, bucking hips and coiling his fingers deep into Kise's hair.

It took a fair deal of force to push Aomine back against the wall and keep him there, denying him the ability to buck and squirm as Kise took his time. He moved with a gradually rising speed, dragging his lips up and down Aomine's heated shaft. He paused very seldom at the head, racing his tongue over it hard and fast before bringing the other straight to the back of his throat again.

It was rough. Hard. It brought tears to his eyes and gooseflesh to his arms, but he prayed Aomine wouldn't notice. All he could think about were the girls in the porn movies. They didn't cough or tear up or shudder when giving head to other guys. Sure, Kise had been with a few girls and saw firsthand what happened when they tried to hard to be the girls in the videos.

But he wanted to be that for Aomine.

He wanted to be that idealistic fuck, especially for someone who had never had anything but videos before. If anyone could copy a porn star, he thought, it would be him.

So he forced himself not to gag when he pressed Aomine deep into his throat, and he dug his nails into the other's hips to hold back a full body shudder.

Kise shut his eyes tight and scrambled to balance breathing and moving lips (never teeth) across Aomine's length. He planned to do more, a faster pace or more intricate oral trick, but Aomine didn't need it.

Without much warning other than staccato breath and shivering hands Aomine pressed hard, balling a fist in Kise's hair and pushing him down until his cock pressed hard against the other's throat. It was there he came, hard and blinding in a way that left his knees weak and lungs fighting for air.

He didn't really hear Kise coughing, or notice how fast the blonde pulled free. He was too drained, too blinded. He panted hard and stared at the ceiling with distant eyes, processing and trying not to think beyond mere elation.

Kise didn't say anything for a long while, and though some small part of Aomine thought it might be cause for alarm, he did nothing. He simply caught his breath and waited for the blonde, who in time rose to his feet and pressed close.

Kise was more of a romantic than Aomine, as expected.

He pressed close and dotted featherlight kisses from collarbone to jawline. Aomine didn't like it. Not because it was affectionate, but because it felt out of place. He wasn't interested in kissing Kise. He wasn't interested in some strange emotional session that came with the more girly pornos.

All he wanted was release, which he got. And in it's wake his gaze fell hard on the blonde as disinterested and tired.

They didn't say anything to one another.

Aomine stared, and Kise understood. He relented, allowing Aomine to shuffle out of the shower and trod -soaking wet- out into the main room. He left the bathroom door open as he sauntered down the hall, likely for spare towels.

Kise lingered behind, sighing to himself. He wasn't surprised.

Just disappointed.


	13. Refuge

_Gets a little racey, but there's no M-material, I swear._

_**Previous Chapter Summary**- Kise gave Aomine head in the shower, to which Aomine promptly walked out after without any return affection/attention._

* * *

Kise remained in the shower out of a sense of bitterness.

He kept his back turned and the water roaring, as if the heat alone would make him feel better.

When Aomine returned with towels Kise pointedly ignored him, staring at the back corner of the shower as he ran hands through his hair. He vaguely heard Aomine sigh dramatically and pictured the other rolling his eyes. The blonde grimaced at the very idea and continued his shower.

He didn't come out of the bathroom until the shower was off, his hair was mostly towel-dried, and the lower half of his body was carefully covered by the towel Aomine left behind.

Only then did Kise step out, glancing around the room.

All he could think about was Aomine. How this would affect their friendship, Kise's basketball, and so much more.. The entire thing had snowballed into something huge and daunting, and Kise was scared to even face the mess. Still, avoiding it only made it grow worse. Thus as he stepped out and found Aomine lazing in the floor, he had to make a choice.

Slowly, confidently, he stepped over and knelt down. Aomine was laying out with his back turned, sprawled and probably half-asleep if Kise knew him at all. Which he did, better than anyone.

Keeping one hand on his towel, Kise nudged Aomine slightly.

There was a grunt and a ragged inhale, but no more. Kise waited. Aomine was unresponsive to another nudge. Slowly Kise shifted, rolling the other onto his back.

By the time Aomine opened his eyes blearily Kise was simply there. All around him, as seemed to always be the case when they collided like this. Even after the shower Kise held on to his personal scent, light and airy with a low tinge of some kind of cologne. Most of it was washed off, but Aomine could still smell it as the blonde leaned over him.

Both hands were on either side of Aomine's head, bracing against the floor as Kise leaned down low. His bangs were brushing Aomine's forehead as he breathed, and the ace grimaced at it slightly. It tickled.

"Kise." He growled, a start to a thought that was never finished. As soon as he got the blonde's name out the inches of space between them were gone. Kise pressed close and hard, with a feverish insistence that struck Aomine still.

It was their second kiss, and the inclination had all been Kise's. Aomine laid still, stunned and silent this time around while Kise parted lips and ran a daring tongue over Aomine's mouth. He tensed, and Kise breathed a low laugh that blew hot breath over his face.

The storm was dying out outside, giving quiet rolls of thunder in the distance that often came and went without any bright flashes of joined lightning. The sky was still dark, bleeding from overcast into early night. In the dimness of the room no lights had been turned on, leaving the two with only what hollow illumination seeped through clouds and paper doors.

In the dark it was easy for Aomine to ease, eyes shutting and surrendering to Kise's insistence. He pressed and probed, kissing and flattening his chest against Aomine's. Things were a slow build, awkward and unsure, but as soon as Aomine caved in and opened his mouth to Kise's antics, arms rose.

He grabbed Kise tight, pressing them together impossibly harder. Aomine rolled, but even beneath him Kise was a far cry from surrendering. He fought to stay close, to keep his lips on Aomine's as his tongue traced slow paths through the other's mouth. They breathed hard and heavy into one another, and Kise slowly allowed himself to relax into Aomine. His hands found the other's short hair, pulling with one hand while the other fled lower, following the ace's spine.

In Kise's absence Aomine had gotten dressed in loose sweatpants and no shirt. Kise's hand ran from Aomine's neck to his lower back, where fingertips played with the rim of his pants. Aomine grumbled a low growl in response, without warning nipping a less than gentle bite at Kise's lips. The blonde laughed, though there was a certain malice in the tone. He shifted, rising one leg between Aomine's.

As soon as the other groaned in reply Kise pushed. He shoved hard at Aomine's shoulder, using his hand in the other's hair to pull and half-throw the other off him. With a mocking, sadistic smile the blonde stood and worked to keep his towel firmly on his hips.

"It's not pleasant when someone is selfish, Aominecchi." Kise scolded.

Aomine got the message, but frowned bitterly anyway.

There was a heartbeat of silence, before Kise bit at the inside of his mouth and inhaled slow. He had to build the courage to speak what needed to be said, even if it broke the tentative.. _whatever _they had going on.

"If we're going to do this, you can't be the only one enjoying yourself." Kise spoke warm, but hard. He would not compromise, as much was clear with the way he moved out of Aomine's reach to lean against the wall. Aomine watched with a sullen expression, pouting. Kise idly wondered if that was the face Momoi dealt with every day.

It would be cute, in any other situation.

"And I can't keep skipping class to come see you."

"..You skipped cla-"

"So you're just going to have to text me more often."

Kise was fast to steer the subject. Aomine wasn't anywhere near forgetting what he heard, but he let it drop when Kise crossed his arms.

With a sigh and a nod, Aomine agreed. He'd never admit he'd been missing the blonde's stupid text messages.

"We can meet when I'm not at school or work." Kise moved with purpose to the bathroom, where their still-wet clothes laid in the sink. Carefully he got to work sorting them out, in search of his phone. It was in his pants pocket, undamaged by the damp cloth around it. The poor thing had seen worse days that a little rain, for certain.

Cleaning out his and Aomine's pockets, he moved to fold all the clothes neatly and look around. Aomine had risen, following as far as the doorway where he leaned idly.

"Where is your laundry room?"

Aomine laughed at Kise outright before turning and leading the way. Kise didn't complain- Aomine laughing was better than Aomine pouting, even if it was at his expense.

"You can borrow some of mine while yours dry." Aomine muttered as soon as the clothes were tossed in the dryer. At first Kise didn't understand, but then the other wandered off. Kise followed slowly, stopping outside the door as Aomine slipped into his bedroom.

Kise tried not to stare- he wasn't sure where the boundaries of their relationship were yet. But from what he glimpsed it was.. surprisingly orderly. And bland. Outside the typical household decorations, and a few odds and ends strew on a desk and low table, there wasn't a lot of personalization to the room.

He looked away as Aomine turned around, returning to the hall with a fold of clothes. Kise took one look at the folds and smiled. There was no way Aomine kept his room that clean, or his laundry folded. Either his mother, a house keeper, or Momoi had to be the cause. And based on the utter emptiness of the house, Kise knew who to thank for the neatness.

Without comment (even though Aomine tried demanding an answer for Kise's smile) the blonde stepped back into the laundry room and changed without Aomine's company. Despite their time in the shower, there were certain lines left uncrossed.

Boundary number one- established.

When all was said and done Aomine tossed the towel into a clothes basket and wandered the halls with Kise in toe. They didn't talk about the lack of anyone else present, but instead paused periodically as Aomine pointed out special rooms. There was the kitchen and the dining room, the entrance to the open walkways and small garden, several scattered bathrooms, and the living room which was an odd mixture of traditional and modern with a plasma television. Aomine didn't say so, but Kise wondered if the tv was so his parents could watch his games at tournaments like the Interhigh without leaving home.

At the end of the awkward tour Aomine lead the way back to the laundry room, where the clothes were finished. Kise hid a small pang of disappointment behind a smile. He was fond of Aomine's clothes, all loose and heavy and utterly without fashion sense. They weren't even of notable brand, which made Kise feel like he was playing some wild childhood game of dress up by parading around in them.

Still, when the time game he redressed in his own clothes and returned Aomine's folded neatly. Momoi would be so proud.

"You could spend the night."

Aomine blurted it at the door, as Kise was pulling his shoes back on. They both paused, not looking at each other but instead outside at the dark sky and dim streets. Kise was probably going to walk home, as the last bus out was running in two minutes, with no way to reach it in time.

"I have class tomorrow.." Kise muttered, staring outside. He wasn't particularly concerned about anything bad happening. He could take care of himself in a fight. But there was a great deal of temptation. Not to mention Aomine offering any shade of kindness was something not to be taken lightly.

"Skip it." Aomine shrugged. "S'not like your grades aren't fine enough anyway."

"But that would be two days in a row skipped. They'll call my parents."

Aomine twitched at the word. Kise pretended to not notice out the corner of his eye.

They stayed silent for a time, with Aomine standing at the threshold and Kise sitting with one shoe halfway on. They stared at the sky, the stars, the moon.

Kise dared breach the obvious avoided subject.

"Won't your parents be mad if they find out?"

Aomine took a long time to answer. Kise pulled his shoe on all the way, expecting the other to toss him out for bringing it up.

"They won't be home for a few days." Aomine shrugged again and turned away, retreating back into the house. Kise lingered, before pulling his shoe off.

Kasamatsu was going to kill him when he went back to school.

But for the night, he tried not to think about it. All he thought about was Aomine, rooting around for spare pajamas.


End file.
